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Saturday, December 31, 2011

after running with my wife, i set out to run a few more miles. i felt good for the first few minutes, but then needed to slow down a bit. i stopped off at a friend's house to avoid a bear attack, then continued my journey. i planned to run five miles, but quit at 5K. i just couldn't go on. i'll rest up now before tonight's midnight run.

my wife wanted to run this morning, so i went out with her. after about a mile, we had to stop by the house so she could change clothes. she'd worn tights and a jacket and she was overheating. after the quick garment swap, we ran another mile or so. we walked some since she was feeling tired, but we made it to the end.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

my brother is leaving to go back to colorado later today, so this morning we went out for a run together. it was beautiful out - 50 degrees with a light wind and lots of sunshine! we ran the same two-mile route i ran yesterday. it was fun! I pushed him a bit and he came in at a better pace than he usually does. wish he lived closer so we could do this more often.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

i woke up refreshed this morning. vacation and time spent with family does wonders for the body and soul. i decided i'd go out for a run and burn some calories rather then take them in.

i felt good when i started out, so i pushed the pace a bit. i ran along school to main and then headed north past the hot and cold water towers to maple. on maple i ran past the church to terrace and turn south. i ran at a sub-7:00 pace for some of the home stretch and finished just around the corner from home.

i walked it on in, checked the trash to see if they'd picked it up yet, then stepped inside. the girls came home shortly after that, so there's no shower available. i guess i'll stink for a little while. no harm in that. i am a man!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

my youngest daughter and her friend were bringing up the rear on the santa hat run and i ran with another runner and her dog back back to find them. we missed each other because they were cold and took a shorter route back. it was a nice cool down run for me and a better test of my foot since i ran faster for a little bit. toe still hurts, but i can manage.

18 people showed up to participate in this morning's santa hat run! my whole family ran! a few supporters and the local newspaper reporter showed up too!

i ran the whole route with my eldest daughter and ryan k. two other dailymilers also joined in the fun running behind us. we ran at a nice social pace, talking the whole way. our fingers nearly fell off in the cold, but our heads were nice and toasty in red and white faux fur!

i think everyone enjoyed the run and we'll have even more for the event next year! yippee!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:8-20, New International Version)

Perhaps you’ve heard this story once or twice before. Linus recites it every year for Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang. Many families read it before they tear into their gifts Christmas morning. I’d guess you’ve heard it if you’ve shown up at any gathering of Christians in December.

Do you understand why this story is important? It’s the beginning of the God-in-the-flesh narrative. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son,” starts here. The One who will die in our place is born! Good news! God has come to save us! He’s through with the alienation that man’s fall into sin inserted into His good creation!

How do men and angels react? With praise! From heaven we hear the angel of the Lord proclaim: “I bring you good news of great joy!” A whole host of angels joins in: “Glory to God in the highest!” The shepherds visit the child in the manger and return to their flocks “glorifying and praising God.”

All who heard of the baby’s arrival were amazed! And why shouldn’t they be? It isn’t every day that God steps in to save the world. People are supposed to appease God. That’s what every other belief system teaches. This God – the one who reveals Himself in the Bible – takes the initiative! He sacrifices Himself so men and women don’t have to suffer His wrath. Those who put their trust in Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem, are no longer condemned! Those who have lived in rebellion against God all their lives can have eternal life!

How do you react to what Jesus did for you? Is your heart filled with joy? Perhaps you don’t understand. You were dead in your sins. You could not save yourself. You needed help. God came to save you!

How can you not shout and sing this Christmas? Praise God with the angels!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Safety is important to athletes. When they step out the door on any given day to run or bike or walk alone, they want to know that if they should become injured or incapacitated, someone would be able to, at the very least, reach a loved one. To meet this need several companies have offered identification bands in varying sizes and colors. Most have emergency contact numbers and basic info on them. A few offer other services linked to the web.

A relative newcomer to the sportsman’s ID universe is 1BandID. The brainchild of Joe Vukson, an athlete who cared about his own safety, this band offers one feature the others don’t: it is nearly impossible to forget! The ID velcros to the athlete’s watch or GPS band, something they aren’t likely to leave behind.

Several members of the dailymile team – five women and four men – tried the 1BandID on for size. From the ordering process to customer service to usefulness, they agreed that this entry into the market was a winner.

Each team member involved in this review ordered their own band on the product’s website. They found the process fairly straightforward – pick a color, fill in your information, pay for it, it’s done!

Each band’s ID tag allows five lines of info. The first gives the athlete’s name. One member of the team ordered an ID that her whole family of runners could use. She put all of their phone numbers and info on it. The second line holds the person’s city, state and country. The next two lines can include phone numbers or other contact information. One reviewer who put her mom’s and her fiancé’s numbers on her band commented, “It's nice to know that if one person wasn't home or didn't answer, there is a backup person people can contact if something should go wrong.” The final line is left for the sportsperson’s short mantra. One person spoke in amazement, “A lot can be put on such a small plate!” Another reviewer who didn’t order his with a motivational quote this time thought he’d order another just to add the feature.

One minor complaint voiced by a reviewer or two concerning ordering was having to count characters when entering information. The 1BandID site doesn’t count for you. If you submit your info with too many characters, you will be returned to the entry page to shorten it.

Once everything is correct and an order is submitted, a confirmation email is automatically sent. A second email is sent when the product is shipped. There is not tracking info, but everything went very smoothly. Everyone in the dailymile test group received their ID quickly. When one of the team discovered a typo in his city information, it was immediately replaced. This caused this reviewer to exclaim, “Awesome customer service! I have no negative things to say!”

A few of the reviewers already had another brand of ID. Others had been considering getting one. Those who had another product already were unanimous in their assessment. To quote one in particular: “I always forget to wear it when I go out for a run and sometimes struggle to search for it as I have no clue where I last put it.” Others echoed that sentiment. The other comment from another brand’s user was the size of the print on the ID tag. He said, “I was used to having the writing a little larger.”

Those who had been thinking about an ID purchase for some time said things like, “I'd been wanting to get [an ID], but had held out as I really didn't want to wear something else on the other wrist.” The 1BandID’s design removed their hesitation. A female said she was glad for one less thing to rub against her skin. That was a big plus for her on long runs!

The dailymile team members put the 1BandID on a number of different GPS devices and watches. When one of them first saw the product, she thought it might feel bulky on her watch. She was also concerned that the velcro could be scratchy. Another concern of other reviewers was added weight. When they took the 1BandID out for a spin, that fear was allayed. The band was lightweight. One male commented, “I don't even notice it is there!” Two female reviewers shared their excitement about being able to choose a color that coordinated with their GPS unit.

Most reviewers put their 1BandID on once and left it. There were a few, however, who had minor problems. A couple of female reviewers with small wrists had minor quibbles. One mentioned that she has to remove it and put it back on again for every workout. The other could not find room on her watch. By the time she put her GPS device on to size, there wasn’t able to secure her 1BandID to the strap on either side. One side of the band was too short. While the ID could be put on the side with the buckle and the slotted band it was a tight fit and she feared her watch band would come loose allowing the ID to slide off. This reviewer worked out a solution to her problem, strapping the ID to her shoelaces. That worked out well for her and, incidentally, for another reviewer. The first reviewer said, “With the velcro I can move it from shoe to shoe with ease, no unlacing needed.” One male with smaller wrists could only fit the band on one side of his GPS. The only reviewer who could not fit the 1BandID on her watch band attached it to her hydration pack. She went for a 24 mile run with the 1BandID and it stayed in place with no chaffing or hotspots. Her assessment: “I think the strength in the idea of the 1BandID is in its versatility. While marketed for use on a GPS watch or similar, it works with any piece of equipment you take on the road with you.” She added this one suggestion: “I'd like to see it available with different widths and lengths of velcro to further expand its usability.”

One reviewer noted a feature that the 1BandID currently lacks. There is no online interface where users can update medical info that emergency workers can access by phone or online. They suggested that this might be important to athletes with lots of medical problems, especially those whose conditions are potentially life threatening. He hopes that the 1BandID might include this feature sometime soon at least as an option.

Taking all things into consideration, every gear tester felt they could recommend the 1BandID to their friends. They talked about the peace of mind they had wearing this piece of gear.

Here are a few of the comments that team members made about the product:

“I would highly recommend this to any runner or anyone needing to always have ID or special instructions on them.”

“I'd recommend this product to anyone that wears a watch or Garmin while training.”

“Overall a great item to have in my running gear!”

“1BandID is a fantastic safety option…when you can't carry your wallet, purse, or I.D. on you.”

“This is one of those, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ products. Genius!”

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

the weatherbug said it was 16 degrees with a 16mph northwest wind when i went out to run this morning. it read 14 with 11mph winds when i got back. oh, those terrible teens! not really! all things considered this was probably one of the more pleasant runs i've had in awhile. i ran just for fun, circling around most of the north side of town. i even went north of the railroad tracks, something i hardly ever do for fear of being stuck on the wrong side of the tracks and being late. i glanced at my garmin every once in awhile, but didn't concern myself with pace or distance. i ran until 6:30 and quit. i'll save running the temperature for another day.

Monday, December 5, 2011

i drove my daughter to piano lessons and ran while she was tickling the ivories. i didn't want to run north since the wind was howling from that direction. it was cold, too. when i left the house it was 23 degrees with winds in the 15-20mph range. saw a few flakes of snow here and there during my run. i should have been singing, "running in a winter wonderland!"

Saturday, December 3, 2011

after i finished my race and rested a bit, i turned around and ran back to find my wife. i located her just after the second to the last hill and ran her in to the finish. that accomplished i ran back out and found the last person and ran them in too. it was a nice way to cool down.

this race was great! all my friends who did the packing of packets and organizing of volunteers did an awesome job! i can't imagine any complaints.

i flew into the starting area with less than ten minutes to spare after returning from my daughter's honor band concert in dodge city. that was insane! next time, if there is one, we're leaving right after her part of the concert. oh, well. live and learn.

i flew through the first part of the course, the downhill with the wind at my back part. i looked down while i was still on main and saw that i was running at 5:45 pace! that's nuts! i never run that fast except when i'm doing speedwork.

when i rounded the corner onto santa fe and headed toward the park, i slowed to a more reasonable pace. i ran into the park and passed one person. after that i was passed by two people while in the park. i figured out later who it was and was glad i didn't try to keep up with them. she ended up third female and he was second place male.

out of the park, i had a guy on my tail for quite some time. he passed me just before we headed up the hill on haskell. he ended up being the third place male. i crossed the finish line less than a minute behind him, the fourth overall male. that made me seventh overall.

i'm pretty pleased with my time considering the course and weather conditions. the wind was awful and it was coooooold!